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The Tammy Baldwin Breakthrough Award is given to an up-and-coming state or local LGBTQ+ elected official who is based in the United States. The Global Trailblazer Award honors an international LGBTQ+ leader for their commitment and dedication to promoting LGBTQ+ equality. The nominees with the most votes win, so make sure to cast your vote for both awards today!

Meet the nominees:

Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones
A Florida native, born and raised in Miami Gardens (Carol City), Shev has called West Park home for nearly two decades. After teaching A.P. Chemistry in Broward County Public Schools, he served as Executive Director of South Florida Reading Corps. He also founded South Florida Youth Summit, the largest gathering of young people in South Florida, and LEAD Nation, one of South Florida’s top organizations for leadership training. He was the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to the Florida State Senate in 2020.

Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride
Sarah McBride grew up in Wilmington and has been advocating for her community for decades. She worked for former Governor Jack Markell, the late Attorney General Beau Biden, and served in the Obama-Biden White House. For her work and advocacy, former Gov. Markell awarded McBride the Order of the First State, the state’s highest civilian honor. In 2020, she became the first out trans person to win a seat in a U.S. state senate, and is currently on-track to be the first out trans person elected to the U.S. Congress.

Minority Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly Greta Neubauer
Greta Neubauer was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. She became involved in politics at a young age and co-founded a national youth climate organization while in college. Since being elected to represent Racine in the state Assembly in 2018, Neubauer has served on the powerful Joint Finance Committee, the Governor’s Climate Change Task Force, and the Mayor’s Police Reform Task Force. She was unanimously elected by her colleagues to serve as Minority Leader and took office in January 2022.

Kentucky State Representative Keturah Herron
Keturah Herron is a proud Kentuckian, youth and justice advocate and former policy strategist for the ACLU of Kentucky. Raised in Richmond, KY, they have worked in various locales across the Commonwealth and country serving young people. It’s through their stories, dreams and challenges that Keturah found a love for policy. When elected in 2022, they were the first out LGBTQ+ member in the Kentucky House of Representatives, and only the second elected to the legislature as a whole.

Chicago City Alderman Lamont Robinson
Lamont J. Robinson is a lifelong Chicagoan who has dedicated his life to giving back to the city through public service, business, education, and youth mentorship. He is an accomplished businessman and has owned and operated The Robinson & Caban Insurance Group and served as a business professor at Harold Washington College. He also directed the Kappa Leadership Institute, a program that prepares young men for success in college and beyond. Since 2018, Alderman Robinson has also served as the State Representative for the 5th district, where he has proven himself to be a tireless advocate for his constituents.

Congresswoman Susel Paredes
Susel Ana María Paredes Piqué is a Peruvian lawyer, LGBTQ+ activist and politician. First elected in 2021, Susel was the first out lesbian woman to have been elected to the Congress of Peru, and the most voted woman in the 2021 elections. Since taking office, she has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ issues, forcing other members to debate LGBTQ+ equality. She has faced adversity inside and outside the legislature, battling unfair censures and anti-LGBTQ attacks.

Senator Jerry Buttimer
Jerry Buttimer is an Irish Senator and currently serves as the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. Jerry was previously elected to Dáil Éireann in February, 2011 representing the constituency of Cork South Central, as well as previously appointed as Chairperson of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children in July 2011. Prior to his election to Dáil Éireann, Jerry served as a Senator, having been elected in July 2007, and was a member of Cork City Council from 2004 to 2007. Senator Buttimer is also the founder of Fine Gael LGBT and was the first Fine Gael party member to come out as gay when he openly discussed his sexuality publicly for the first time when he took on the role of Chairman of Fine Gael’s LGBT forum.

Symmy Larrat
Symmy Larrat Brito de Carvalho is a Brazilian journalist and currently serves as National Secretary for the Promotion and Defense of the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People. A student activist and former drag queen, Symmy was slowly recognized for her outstanding advocacy and began to take positions in government. She worked as an advisor in the Communications department of the Secretariat of Justice and Human Rights, managed Transcidadania which trains trans people on entering the job market, among others. In 2018, Symmy was named “one of the most influential LGBT people in Brazil”.

Zakhele Mbhele
Elected in 2014, Zakhele Mbhele was the first out gay Black person elected to the South African Parliament. As a student at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, he led the university’s student LGBTQ+ group, ACTIVATE, and later served on the board of Joburg Pride. In 2010, he was named one of the “Top 200 Young South Africans”. His term ended in 2024.

Voting for both awards closes on September 26th at midnight PT, so make sure you cast your vote right away. Vote here!The awards will be given during the 2024 International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference on December 5-7, 2024. Make sure to save money on your Conference ticket by registering today!

Thanks for voting,

Sarah Pope
Pronouns: she|they
Director of US Programs, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute